What if Darcy marrying Caroline Bingley...actually wouldn’t be that bad?
We know. We KNOW.
But somehow that’s where we ended up while discussing Darcy’s Marriage Pact by Cat Gardiner, a modern Pride and Prejudice variation in which Darcy, heartbroken after losing Elizabeth, enters into a legally binding marriage pact with his best friend’s sister, Beanz (aka this story’s Caroline Bingley). There are rules, there are clauses, and there are subsections that include a $1.5 million wedding budget. And absolutely *no one* is allowed to mention Elizabeth Bennet.
Of course, this being a Pride and Prejudice variation, Elizabeth comes back, and all of Darcy's plans fly out the window. But if she hadn't...
We're just saying, maybe we would have read that book, too.
But if you're like us and want more Darcy and Elizabeth, there's still plenty in this story to talk about: how much influence should the people we love have over our romantic choices? (Feeling some serious Persuasion vibes!) When a relationship falls apart, who is responsible for fighting for it? And how much healing does Elizabeth need to do before she’s really ready to build a life with Darcy?
And perhaps most shocking of all: Sharon, our resident modern-variation skeptic, liked this one enough that she may actually be coming around to moderns.
Emilie is rubbing off on her. It was bound to happen eventually!
Episode Credits:
🎙️ Hosted by Emilie Davis and Sharon Cortez
🎵 Music Credit: Pride & Prejudice Book Club Theme composed, performed, and arranged by Megan Mason.
📚 See a list of books we've read at https://www.prideandprejudicebookclub.com!
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